


life is not a fairytale, it has no happy endings

by Babsroe



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 01:34:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5111468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babsroe/pseuds/Babsroe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Joe should really just keep his mouth shut. He ends up wishing he had.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any people in this fic. I am not basing this off the real people, I am basing it off the characters from the tv show.

"If you would just stop and listen to me then you would understand what I-" 

"And if you would just shut up for one second you would know that I don’t give a shit about what you're saying." 

This argument had been going on for quite some time. All of their friends on that floor of the apartment block had migrated to the floor below or had simply left the building all together. Not that the two noticed. 

"You never fucking listen to me anyway so I don’t see the difference." 

"That's rich coming from you." 

About an hour ago, Skip had made the mistake of going asking for some sugar, ignoring the begs of the others for him not to leave the safety of his apartment. He had come back not five minutes later holding a mostly empty sugar bag and his eye, that probably had more sugar in it than the bag itself. 

"If you weren't so fucking pretentious all the damn time maybe I would listen to you!" 

"Oh I'm pretentious? Really? You’re gonna go there?" 

On the floor below, room B7 were playing a drinking game to the arguing. Every time one of them insulted the other with an insult that had been previously used by the other, they would drink. 

"Yes, David, I'm going there, what are you gonna do about it?" 

Every time one of the asked a rhetorical question, they would drink. 

"Fuck you, I'm not gonna stand for this." 

"Well why don't you take a seat then because I'm not finished." 

"Well I am." Webster said and made his way towards the door. 

"Fine! Leave! Just like your mom!" Joe shouted back angrily. Webster stopped and turned back around to look at him. 

Everyone held their breath, shots in hand. Some of them had their mouths hanging open in shock. Nobody brought up Webster's mom. 

"What did you just say?" Webster said, voice dangerously low. 

Half of them were praying, begging for Joe not to repeat what he had said. Not to make it worse. Not to overstep the line. Of course, to Joe there was no line when he was angry.

"Leave just like your damn mother." Joe snarled and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the cupboards and the half empty vodka bottle. 

"Take that back." Webster said lowly. Joe downed the glass he had poured, poured himself another one and downed that too, wincing at the taste. "You fucking take that back!" He shouted. 

"Make me." Joe answered quietly and placed the glass in the sink, choosing instead to drink directly from the bottle.

A collective whisper of "Oh shit" rippled through room B7.

"You know what, fuck you. We’re done." Webster said and left the apartment, racing down the stairs and before anyone could even blink he was out of the building entirely, angrily storming down the street. 

Things could be heard smashing upstairs followed by loud swearing and more smashing. Glasses, plates, bottles. Almost everything smashable was smashed, the debris scattered around the kitchen and the living room. Joe slid down the wall closest to the door, fingers still clutching the neck of the bottle. He took a drag from it, some of the clear liquid dribbling down his chin and onto his shirt. No, Webs shirt. 

"What the fuck did I do?" He said to himself, running his free hand through his hair. 

***  
"How fucking dare he bring up my mother." Webster said angrily, "Can you believe that? Can you believe he would do that?" 

"No I can't." Hoobler said, trying to keep up with Webster's pace. 

"And to think I loved him." Webster spat, turning a corner so quickly Hoosier almost missed it and carried on walking. 

"You still do." Hoosier replied, "And could ya slow down, not all of us were on the track team." 

"You really think I can still love the guy after that?" Webster asked, though he slowed down slightly. "He didn't even apologize he just-" 

"We heard." Hoob cut in. They turned another corner and came to a set of steps leading down to a beach. The beach was empty and they headed down to sit on the sand in front of the ocean. "I really don't think he meant it Web, I just think he was angry."

"Are you really taking his side?" Web said in disbelief. "After what he said you're taking his side?" 

"I'm not taking sides, Web, I would be telling him the exact same thing if I was with him." 

"Whatever." Web grumbled. 

"You know what," Hoobler said, standing up and wiping the sand off of his pants, "If you're gonna be snappy with me I'm gonna leave you. Just come back before dark, okay? You can stay at my place." 

Webster watched Hooblers back as he walked away, only turning back to the ocean when he could no longer see him. Sighing loudly to himself he picked up a rock from the sand next to him and lobbed it at the water. 

*** 

Knocking hesitantly on the door Hoobler braced himself for any form of violence. Instead though, the handle twisted and the door opened a fraction. Hoobler blinked for a second before pushing the door open further and stepping into the apartment. It was dark in there. The only source of light; a thin line streaming through a crack in the curtains. Joe was seated next to the door, an empty bottle of vodka by his feet and a half empty one in his hand. 

"Jesus Joe." Hoobler said. 

"What?" Joe slurred, trying to sound annoyed. He didn't have the energy. Joe lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a long pull. "What do you want?" 

"I just wanted to see how you were holding up." He answered, a large piece of glass crunching under hit shoe. 

"Yeah well I'm doin' just dandy." 

"It looks like a bomb went off in here." Hoob said offhandedly, kicking half a plate a few inches across the floor. "Listen, I know this seems bad now but-" 

"But what," Joe cut in, "He left me, there is no but. It's game over." 

"He loves you." 

"He can't not after-" hiccup, "not after what I said." 

"So apologize." Hoob suggested, walking over to the curtains and pulling them open. "I know what you said was bad. Probably the worst thing you could have said, but I also know that you didn't mean it. You've gotta prove that to him, okay? Even if... even if he doesn't trust you or whatever for a while, you've gotta prove that you didn't mean it." 

"It won't make a difference Hoob he's gone. Did you not hear him? He said it's over so it's over!" Joe shouted. 

"So that's it huh?!" Hoobler shouted back, matching Joe's volume. "You've been together God knows how long and that's it? You're just gonna give up because in the heat of the moment he ended it?! Look, I'm not one for giving relationship advice but if I were you, I would go and find him and I would apologize, because he at least deserves that much." 

"Yeah well you're not me are you?" Joe snapped. 

"You're right, I'm not. Whatever, it's none of my business." He walked over to the door and pulled it open. As he stepped out of the apartment he paused, looking down at Joe. "He's at the beach. I suggest you go." 

When Hoobler shut the door Joe growled and slammed the bottle onto the floor, pushing himself up the wall into a standing position. He wasn't exactly sober and he knew that he should probably sober up before he went outside, but a part of what Hoobler said was grating on him. So he stumbled out of the door of his apartment and found the stairs. When he finally came to the steps leading down to the beach he spotted Web sat in the middle of the sand throwing rocks into the ocean. 

He stumbled down the steps and over to Webster, standing a few feet behind him and just watching him for a second. 

"I'm sorry." Joe blurted. Webster turned around quickly and upon seeing Joe he glared at him before turning back to the sea. "Web please you've gotta believe me I'm really sorry I didn't mean what I said." 

Webster ignored him though, and chose to carry on throwing shells and rocks into the water. "You don't have to forgive me and- and I wouldn't blame you. You said we were over and I get it I really do, you deserve better but I just wanted to ask something of you." Joe said, swallowing back the tears that were willing to spill, "Find someone who's worth something. Someone who can care about you as much as I do, you deserve everything and you should have it. I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said and I'm sorry that I couldn't be enough for you, that I couldn't be what you needed all the time but most of all, I want you to know that I love you okay? And even though you're gonna find someone new, I'm never gonna stop loving you." 

Webster had dropped his head into his hand and the shaking of his back seemed to be the only reaction that Joe got. Nodding to himself, Joe turned to head back towards the steps, feeling as though he had said everything he needed to say. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, "Oh and Web?" He called over his shoulder, "Don't forget me." 

He started up the steps, only making it up the first one before he was stopped in his tracks. "Joe!" Web shouted. Joe pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes to stop the tears and turned around, eyes locking on Webs who was slowly making his way towards the stairs. As he got closer Joe could see the red that ringed Webs eyes, could see the light that seemed to glint of the tear tracks that he hadn't bothered to wipe away. 

"Yeah?" 

"Don’t- I can't-" Web stuttered, struggling to find the words he wanted to say, "I don't want anybody else." He said finally. Joe let go the breath he's been holding and stepped back onto the sand. "I don't want anybody else, but, I don't know if I can... I need time." He said. Joe nodded in acknowledgement. 

"I understand." He said. "I'll leave the apartment if you want." He offered. 

"No, no." Web said, holding his hands out for exaggeration. "No, it's your place I'll stay at Hoobs, it's... It's fine I'll just pick up some stuff, you know." 

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Joe said and turned back to the steps. "You have a key just, take what you want." He said over his shoulder as he made his way to the top of the stairs. When he reached his apartment not ten minutes later he pushed through all of the rubble and into his bedroom, throwing himself face down onto the sheets. 

Just before he fell asleep he thought to himself, life is not a fairytale, it has no happy ending. At least not today.

***


	2. thank god for george luz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second part to life is not a fairytale!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any people in this fic. I am not basing this off the real people, I am basing it off the characters from the tv show.

 

"Come on Joe, you've been in there for three days." George said. No answer. "You've gotta eat or something." No answer. "Either you come out and eat something or I come in a drag you out." A thud, something being thrown against the door and a muffled 'fuck off' was the only reply. 

"Fine." George said and turned the handle, pushing the door open hard enough that it bounced off the wall. Dust particles blew up and danced around the room in the small stream of light that flooded in through the crack in the curtains. In the middle of the room pushed against the back wall was a double bed. Directly in the middle of that, head covered by the blankets was Joe. "Come on, get up, we're going out." George insisted, stepping over clothes and comics that lied on the floor. He yanked the covers away from Joe and threw them off to the side. 

"No." Joe mumbled, "fuck off, I'm tryna sleep." 

George sighed, his hands on his hips. "It's been three days. You have to get out of here, it's not healthy." 

"I don't care." Joe said and turned his face into his pillow, lying fully on his front. "Can you pass me my cover?" He asked quietly. 

"You know what, I don’t know what to do, I don't know you like that, but if I'm honest, I think you should stop laying in your own self pity for just one second and think about what you're doing. Do you think this is how you're gonna get Web back? By lying in bed all week? You know what, I think you should just buck up and get a fucking shower and come out for pancakes with me instead of being alone because it's only gonna make it worse." 

When he got no response he sighed again and turned to leave the room. "Will Web be there?" Joe asked quietly, pushing himself up into a sitting position. 

"No he's got a Lit lecture for three hours and then he's headed over to the library." George answered, "You coming?" 

"Yeah just... Just lemme have a shower."  He mumbled and pulled  himself weakly from his bed. George left the room and went to wait in the living room looking over the smashed plates and glasses that were still scattered along the floor.  He caught a glimpse of an upturned photo frame lying on one of the tables near to the wall that George was leaning on.

He picked it up, brushing his fingers over the glass. Unlike most other things the glass in the frame was still intact, the only thing that had seemingly happened to it was that it was turned downwards. The picture behind the glass was a picture taken on their very first date. George remembers this because Webster had recounted the entire night to him once. 

Joe took Webster to a theme park. He'd never been before, what with his parents too busy with work and so on. Webster's fun in his childhood came from inside the pages of the books he would read from their library. Joe had taken the picture when they were on the ferris wheel, near the top, stars shining in the background. It was perfect really. A cliché, some might say, but perfect all the same. That was really the only proper picture the two ever got with each other and to see it turned away turned something in George's stomach. 

Joe stumbled from his bedroom at that moment and George quickly placed the picture back on the table, making sure to put it up instead of replacing it face down. Joe paused at the sight of debris scattered around his apartment and sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. 

"Let’s just get outta here." He said and grabbed his keys and his wallet off the side and headed towards the door, ignoring the glass crunching beneath his feet. 

They walked to a small  café  a few blocks away from the apartment building, both ordering pancakes as promised. It was quiet, them being one of two sets of people that were in the café at that time. The other couple was talking mutedly in one corner while George and Joe were silent in another. 

George was the first one  to speak, sipping his coffee slowly as they waited for the pancakes to come. "So, Joe. Can I ask what exactly happened between you and Web to make this" he waved his hand in front of Joe and swallowed the mouthful he had taken, "happen?" 

"You can’t ask ." Joe replied bitterly taking a long pull of his coffee, ignoring the way it burned his throat on the way down. "And I'm pretty sure you heard it all anyway." 

"Well I am asking, so you better start talking or you're buying your own damn food." George threatened. 

"I'm pretty sure blackmail is illegal you know."  Joe said, spinning his mug around in his hands slowly. 

"And I'm pretty sure I don't care." 

"Fine, you want me to tell you? We were arguing over something petty, it escalated, a told him to leave just like his mother and he fucking did. Are you happy now?" Joe bit, eyes not once leaving the remaining coffee in his mug. 

George went silent. He knew what he wanted to hear and what he wanted to hear was not that. A part of him wanted to have dreamed what Joe said, but now, with Joe saying it  out loud  he could no longer hope that Webster was just mad about there being no milk in the carton but it had been put back in the fridge like usual. But no, not today.

"And he doesn’t believe me but I really didn't mean it, you know I wouldn't say anything like that, not-"

"But you did." George cut in. The food came to the table at that moment, Joe's furious glare hidden behind a stack of pancakes as the waitress leaned over them to put it down. 

"Enjoy your meal." She said boredly and wandered back into the kitchen. 

The scraping of forks filled the café, the other couple standing to leave not a few minutes after their plates had come. Quietly but suddenly Joe spoke. "You gotta help me get him back." He said, slowing down cutting until he stopped entirely. He dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter and finally raised his eyes to meet Georges. "Please." 

George sighed heavily and placed his cutlery on the table next to his plate. He swallowed the food and looked pointedly at Joe. "It's not gonna be easy man, you really hurt him. But I'll do what I can. It's not the same around here with you two moping all the damn time." 

Joe glared at him. "Well what did you expect me to do, dance about it?" 

"Buy him flowers!" George said suddenly, an excited smile creeping onto his face. "Buy him flowers and take them to him tonight!" 

"Ah yeah, nothing says 'I'm sorry' like a few daisies in a wrapper." Joe said, sarcasm seeping through. 

"So get him roses or something, lots of them. I know it may not seem like anything to you but have you ever noticed," He took a bite of his pancake and started chewing it slowly, keeping his eyes on Joe, "that other people have feelings." 

"So I get him flowers, then what? You don't think he's gonna slam the door in my face?" 

"Well I don't expect him to come running into your open arms but I doubt he'll slam the door in your face, I mean Jesus Christ, don't tell him I told you but you're all he's talked about for the past three days." George said, waving his fork around before turning back to his pancakes that were less breakfast more lunch like it was no  big deal. Joe was about to say something when Georges phone buzzed on the table. It was Hoobler. 

"Hello?" George answered. "Yep... Yeah... Really? Christ... Okay... Okay... Uh huh... Yep... Yeah, Yeah... Damn that's bad... Okay yeah I'll pick them up on the way back... From the café... Yes he's here... Is he okay?... Okay yeah, I'll see you in a minute. Bye." George  hung  up the phone and shoved the last of his pancake into his mouth. "Eat up or get 'em to go man, we gotta go." 

"Go where?" Joe asked, standing from the table and shoving his phone in his pocket he took one last large bite out of the pancake before pushing it to the middle of the table. 

"Well for starters, you have a trip to the flower shop to make, second of all, I'm gonna need a huge tub of ice cream and then we are gonna go home, I'm gonna give Web the ice cream and me and  Hoob  are gonna leave, then you're gonna go and make your boyfriends day better because so far it's been really shitty." George said, shoving rolls of cash at the waitress without really looking. 

"Sir, It was just pancakes, they really don't cost fifty dollars... Sir?" The girl was trying to say in the background. Joe sighed and stepped forwards to take the extra cash from her hand. He slipped a ten into his pocket and shoved the rest into  George's  chest. 

"I saw that." George grumbled, sliding the money back into his wallet and pushing that in his back pocket. "Anyway let's go, we have a job to do."

***

When they reached the apartment building, things in hand they took the stairs two by two. Joe went to his apartment while George went to Hooblers without knocking, something he was used to doing from when the two lived together in a college dorm the year before. "Hoobler honey, I'm home." George greeted, giving a look to Joe as he shut the door while Joe walked past. 

"George I thought you were never gonna get here, come on." 

"I'll have you know I ran for you dearest, I had to go to three different stores for this, do you know how hard it is to find this stuff nowadays?" 

"Just come on." Hoobler said impatiently. 

"Wait  wait  wait." George insisted. "Listen, when I give this to Web, we need to leave." 

"What? Why?" Hoobler asked curiously, looking at George with his eyebrows raised. 

"Just do it, I'll explain on the way," George whispered, "Webster my darling!" He called, quickly dashing into the kitchen for a spoon. "Where are you?" He got a grunt in reply and followed the sound into the living room. 

He popped out not a moment later, "We're just headed out for a while Web, you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Another grunt. George pulled Hoobler out of the apartment and down the stairs, turning to walk Hoobler down the street, talking animatedly about why he had dragged him out.  

Then there was a hesitant knock on the door and Webster groaned and pulled the blanket tighter around himself for a moment before standing from the sofa and making his way there, mumbling about how " I never get a damn break around here, it better be fucking something or I'm gonna- Joe?" 

"Yeah, um, these are for you." He said nervously, thrusting the flowers into Webs  unsuspecting hands. 

"What? What for?" Web asked seeming genuinely confused. 

"I love y- I'm sorry I know I'm not supposed to say that  I mean, I heard you had a shitty day and I thought I would..." He tailed off slightly, bringing himself back with, "You don't have to have them I just, I'm sorry." Rubbing the back of his neck he turned slightly to the side, almost as if he was going to walk away. Webster smiled though, a genuine smile, one that Joe hadn’t seen for three whole days and he  realised  in that moment how much he missed it. 

"I love them." He said graciously and moved back as little, holding the door open wider. "Do you wanna come in?" He asked.

"I don’t wanna intrude..." Joe said hesitantly but Webster shook his head. 

"You wouldn't be," He said, "George and Hoob just left so I've got nothing else to do. Grab a spoon if you want, I've got ice cream and I'm pretty sure Batman's on so..." 

Joe slid into the apartment cautiously, hanging around the door even though he had been in there countless times, had even sprawled himself on the sofa a couple of times too. 

"Come on then." Web said and grabbed an extra spoon from the kitchen. He handed it to Joe and walked into the living room, sitting down on one side of the sofa. Joe followed him, sitting down on the other side. Webster looked at him and sighed dramatically. He placed the flowers on the table and slid into the middle of the couch. "We’re on a break, I don't hate you." He said, nudging Joe with his  shoul der . 

He ripped the seal on the  tub , flicking it to the floor carelessly and taking a spoonful. He offered it to  Joe, who accepted the tub and scraped some onto his spoon. They put Batman on and half an hour or so into the movie Web leaned against Joe's side, letting his head drop onto Joe's shoulder. 

*** 

"How dare you!" Webster  shrieked  loudly. Joe cackled and hopped over the couch, trying to  shield himself from Web. Going cross-eyed Webster attempted to look at the  splodge of ice cream Joe had wiped onto his nose. "And to think I trusted you." 

"You were asking for it." Joe laughed, moving around the sofa as Webster circled it to try and reach him. 

"I was not." 

"Was too." Joe argued back childishly. A loud sound  rang  from the TV and Joe turned to see what it was. Webster took his chance and jumped over the sofa, tackling Joe to the ground. Joe yelped loudly and Webster wiped the ice cream from his nose. Joe looked up at him quietly, something twinge in his chest. Slowly he  reached a hand up and traced Webster's jaw with his index finger. "I missed you." He said. Webster closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to consider himself before he ducked down, capturing Joe's lips gently. 

"I missed you too." He replied and pushed himself off the floor. George and Hoobler burst through the door, each sporting slushies and huge grins. When they saw Joe still on the floor they looked to Webster giving him a curious look before backing out of the living room and into the kitchen. Webster chuckled to himself and helped Joe to him feet. 

They both walked back to Joe's apartment together, arms brushing gently as they walked down the  hall way . They stopped at the door. "I'd invite you in but... it’s not exactly safe to walk in there with no shoes on." Joe said  awkwardly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. 

"I've heard." Webster said not unkindly. "I had a good time tonight." 

"Yeah, me too." Joe agreed and leaned against the door, finding the handle behind his back. He twisted it, opening it slightly but he kept it closed while Webster was still there. 

Webster  leaned  closer, kissing Joe gently before turning and walking back down the hallway. "Thanks for the flowers." He called over his shoulder. Joe pushed his way into his apartment,  missing the glass and heading straight for the kitchen to find the bin bags. He was gonna clean this mess up. 

Within the hour Joe had removed all pieces of glass form the carpet and vacuumed it twice over to make sure no bits were stuck in the carpet. He noticed while he was cleaning, that the photo he had turned down had been stood back into its  origi nal  position. Suddenly he remembered the reason for today and pulled his phone out of his pocket. 

To: George.   
From:Joe.   
11:52

Thanks for today

To: Joe   
From:George   
11:53

Anytime ;)

Joe sighed contentedly. "Thank God for George Luz." He said to the empty space, tilting the photo a little to the right before he walked into his bedroom, collapsing on his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can all thank Cam for this (my love) for giving me the idea for the first one, it's longer I think and I'm pretty sure there is definitely going to be another part to this! You can reach me on my tumblr, babsroe.tumblr.com and give me any ideas that you may want me to write!

**Author's Note:**

> Again, you can thank Cam for this idea. I'm also taking requests at my tumblr, babsroe.tumblr.com so if you have anything you want writing hmu and I'll let you know if I'm able to do it. I might be doing a second part to this depending on what you think of it.


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